The Country of Dreams
by TheNobodyofaSOLDIER
Summary: Four young ladies, suffering the sorrows of reality, four ladies seeking an escape, four unique adventures in Wonderland. For my dear friend.
1. Chapter 1

_~ For my dear friend, Katya Menkina_

~ _Thank you for being such a wonderful friend!_ _I love you!_

One mellow afternoon, the sun hovered over the small garden, causing the droplets to glitter like diamonds. The roses, lilies and gardenias emitted a muddle of fragrances enough to hypnotize the senses. The glorious oaks shaded those seeking refuge from the golden rays. A cool breeze gentle bent the green grass and elegant branches of the trees to its will.

Suddenly, a little water droplet rolled from a leaf and fell upon the forehead of Alice. Her dark eyelashes fluttered open as she was greeted by the soft afternoon light. With a yawn, she stretched her limbs and shook her head. After rising from her spot on the dark green moss, she brushed herself off and glanced at the imprint she had created in the ground. She had just awoken from the most peculiar dream:

There was not much too it. It resembled a fever dream someone receives while they lie recovering from a sickness. The atmosphere was hazy and cloudy. She remembered seeing a few clocks seemingly floating about. All of a sudden, the strangest of voices, an almost androgynous voice whispered,

"_Every game has rules, did you know that? It's decided from the beginning. You DID know that right?"_

_Games? Rules? What was that all about? Where did such thoughts even come from?_

"Alice Liddell!" a voice caused her to jump and pivot. "Sleeping again, young lady?"

With a sigh, she placed a hand over her heart. "Lorina!" she exclaimed. "You startled me!"

The graceful woman brushed her curled tresses from her shoulders and shook her head.

"Silly girl," she said. "Such a romanticist; sleeping in the gardens in such a dramatic pose."

Alice pursed her lips. "Wait a minute, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing," the elder sister chuckled. "Just teasing my little sister, as any big sister would. Make sure you don't sleep too often, as too much would be bad for your health."

"Yes, I know, I know," she placed her hands on her hips.

Carefully, Lorina moved aside her lacy dress and descended onto the grass. She rested her arms in her lap, opening a scarlet book with gold trimming. Alice smiled as she watched her beautiful sister; intelligent, gentle, wise, lovely. A goddess in her eyes.

_Ah, what man wouldn't just long for her as soon as they looked on her? _she thought to herself.

Suddenly, a hint of melancholy stabbed at her heart when those words entered her mind. She cared not to ruminate over such things, so she asked,

"What are you reading? Another psychology book?"

"In a way," Lorina smiled affectionately. "It's about a girl who falls down a rabbit whole and partakes in many interesting adventures. Soon, though, she wakes up to find it was only a dream."

She cocked her head. "A dream?"

"Yes, just a dream," she sighed and closed the book. "But, I don't have to read when I'm here with you. Shall I go inside and find a card game for us to play?"

For a moment, Alice found herself ruminating over the dream she had just witnessed again.

"Hm?" she blinked. "Oh! Yes, please do. I'll just wait here."

"Are you alright, Alice?"

"Oh, yes, I am," she scratched the side of her head. "Just a weird dream I had. Made no sense."

"Do you wish to discuss it?" her eyes filled with concern.

She shrugged her shoulders. "There's not much to discuss: something about games and rules. It was just a voice talking to me about it."

She curled a gloved finger over her lip. "Well, how about you let it go for now? I'll find us something to play."

"Alright," she sprawled her legs, covered with striped socks. "I'll just wait here."

Playfully, her sister tapped her nose. "Don't fall asleep while I'm gone, okay?"

She scoffed. "Whatever, Lorina, just get the game!" The two shared in a laugh.

Alice's mother died when she was quite young, which left her father to raise her and her sisters Edith and Lorina on his own. This caused an intense hostility to grow between the younger sisters, but the elder, gracious and kind, did everything her power to care for them when the father was away. She loved little Alice dearly; she taught her many important skills, such as cooking, reading and writing. Thanks to her, the young girl performed well in her school work.

As she grew older, Alice entered the company of a handsome young gentleman, part of a noble family. It was love at first sight. They spent many a happy year together, until one tragic day, his love for her slowly burned away and diminished.

"I can't blame him," she told her sister. "It just happens sometimes."

Though the break up was bitter, she did her very best to handle it with the utmost dignity. However, every time she spotted him with his new love, to her dismay, her beautiful older sister, a horrendous wave of nausea and envy took hold over her. Her self value plummeted, and a mild depression sunk in for a while. When this took place, Lorina did everything in her power to nurse her spirit back to health. She herself felt her own guilt and sorrow.

Thankfully, she did recover, but every now and then, a hint of sadness would linger.

"It takes a little time to mend a broken heart, Lorina," she would say. "But, I love you both very much-you look wonderful together."

With another exasperated yawn, Alice collapsed onto the moss, watching the grey clouds slowly pass over the sun.

"I know she said not to sleep," she groaned. "But, I'm so tired."

Slowly, the warmth overtook her body. Sleep weighed heavy on her eyelids. The cool breeze gently caressed her skin. The moisture on the moss was refreshing and relaxing.

"I guess I could sleep for a while longer," she curled up into a ball and drifted off once more, listening to the happy singing of the sparrows. "Sorry, sis," she whispered as the blackness slowly overtook her again.

Time seemed to pass slowly for young Rea Kato. Nervously, she fidgeted in her wheel chair as she watched the sun begin to descend through the grey clouds, which emitted a mystical glow at the edges. The broad window emitted a chilly air. The candles within her household flickered, causing shadows around her thin, sickly figure to dance. She emitted a sorrowful sigh as no sign of her father returning revealed itself.

"Lady Rea," came the gentle voice of her faithful servant Mai. "Still watching for your father?"

In an almost embarrassed fashion, the teen slid her hands through her honey colored hair.

"Yes," she replied. "He's been gone for nearly a week! I am just too excited!" her hands curled, as she held them under her chin. "I'm proud of him. He's a wonderful soldier and all, but he's away so much."

"I know, love," she replied. "Well, he should be home soon. Just don't over exert yourself, Kotori," she lovingly stroked her soft blonde hair. "You've had such a busy day spending all that time with your school friends."

"I know," she said, watching the bonsai trees delicately swaying with the wind. The little pond adorning the Japanese garden trickled lightly. After rapping her fingers against the wheel chair, she lowered her eyes to her legs. "Mai?" came her light voice.

"Yes, m'lady?" she replied, folding some clothes over her thick arm.

Before continuing, she sensed a sudden spasm in her calf, bent over and rubbed it vigorously.

"How long do you think it will take for my legs to heal?" she finally asked. "I'm scared that they're only getting worse. We see the doctors everyday, but I'm just-" she looked outside the window again. "I want so much to run and play with everyone!"

The elderly maid seemed very saddened by her mistress's words, but noticing that her back was turned towards her, she allowed one little tear to escape her eye.

"Time will tell," she finally replied. "In the mean time, I shall prepare your bed."

Ever since birth, sixteen year old Rea suffered a muscular disorder that ailed her with intense aches and spasms in her hands and legs, only occurring when she overused them. But, this could not even pin down the golden-haired, brown-eyed little pixie. With a loving, successful family to aid her, she enjoyed life to its fullest. Often times, she spent time in her majestic garden, watching the birds fly by or the sakura petals gently fall onto her book. Despite her weakened condition, she was loved by many faithful school companions. They often took the time to stop by her gorgeous home and visit. Her optimism and hopeful spirit captured the hearts of all who knew her.

Even then, a cheerful soul has a day of sorrow. She longed to frolic and romp through the gardens with the rest of the children. She wanted to play all she desired without enduring the physical pain that shortly followed. But, despite these few hardships, she took out her little journal and exerted her negative feelings on those pages instead of burdening her loved ones. She often found herself growing impatient with the doctors that so often visited her. They spoke in big, scientific terms that meant nothing to her. Though she was grateful for the medical advancements of the 1920s, she wished only to get well. That was all.

"Who cares what it is? I certainly don't care about what it's called," she replied. "If it limits my ability to play with my family and friends, I just want to get better!"

She regretted the few times her tolerance with them. Her best feat was to put on a happy face and enjoy life at its fullest.

Who wouldn't be content? Her parents were very successful in concealing their little girl from the hard advancements of the new democracy, they cared for her dearly, she received wonderful education and was loved by many. But, every now and then, especially recently, since her father was forced to assist his country in the multiple struggles occurring with different parts of the world, cycles of depression were almost inevitable. Somedays, she felt so hopeless and worthless, tears could be shed for days in a row. Not even venting to her maid or writing in her journal could ease the pain. She worried so often about her father's safety and her own condition.

"What if it just worsens?" she would mourn. "What if it gets so bad, I can never walk again?"

As the hours passed, Rea stared into the cream colored ceiling, counting the seconds. Just as she suspected, her father was late. She tossed uncomfortably back and forth.

"I hope he's okay," she fretted, knotting her fingers in her hair.

The fatigue from the day began weighing down on her weary limbs, producing a slow aching.

"No! Not now!" she moaned. Rising from her pillow, she pressed her finger into her calves, massaging them vigorously. "Oh, when will this ever stop?"

Finally, the pain subsided for the moment, but it still lingered a bit. She exhaled deeply and collapsed. Hot tears burned the corner of her eyes, then streamed down her face. Her chest started to tremble and heave.

"Why am I crying again?" she thought. "Why? What's the matter with me?"

When she rolled over on her side again, she continued to weep. Her shoulders shook. Just as her crying made the slightest sound, she clamped her sweaty hands over her mouth to silence herself: she did not want to wake her mother or Mai.

"No, not again," she worried. "I hate this. I don't wanna cry all the time again," she tried to breathe deeply. "Alright, Rea. It'll b e okay. Just relax and get some sleep. It's like what Mai always said: when distressed and cannot sleep, think of pleasant things," she rubbed her temples. "Oh, if only I could relax."

Instead of thinking of the aching, she just breathed, slowly-in and out. In and out. Relax. Slowly.

Rea's mind began to settle down. "Daddy will be home soon, and everything will be okay. Just go to sleep," a hint of drowsiness overtook her. "Go to sleep." She closed her eyes. "Go to sleep."

She curled up into a ball beneath her warm, protective sheets, and then, she carefully placed her head against the soft, deep pillow.

"Sweet dreams."

Beep! Beep! Beep!

With an irritated groan, Tanya Janning slammed her hand against the alarm clock.

"Morning, already? Whyyyyyyyyy?"

"Tanya! Hurry up!" her big sister, Natasha, poked her head through the door. "Boris is already up, and he needs to be washed and fed right away," she snapped her fingers. "C'mon, hurry up!"

"Alright, already!" she scratched her strawberry scalp. "I just woke up! Give me a second."

Throwing her legs out from under the blankets, she yanked off her shorts and tank top. Then, she pulled out her jeans and sweat shirt, and she proceeded to get ready for the day. Her grey eyes still felt tired, and her limbs were sore from strenuous work the day before.

"_Ah, shit_," she thought. "_Today's the day we have to go with Mom_," she moaned while she shoved her hands in her pockets. "And most likely, she'll still be with that twat."

With a sigh, she shook her head and hobbled out of the room.

"Same thing every time," she still monologued. "A dude just has to look at her the right way, and she'll willing to let him nail her."

"You talkin' about Mom?" her sister's voice came from behind.

Startled, she jumped a little. "Yeah, yeah."

The tall blonde swaggered a bit towards her and tossed an arm around her shoulder. "She's just trying to find a nice new husband."

She pursed her lips. "Yeah, but her way isn't really working. She's only attracting the jackasses!" she hissed. "Split custody sucks."

Natasha sighed. She couldn't disagree, because she was right. She remained quiet for a moment.

"And why do you come along? You're an adult? You don't have to endure this torture."

She knitted her brows together. "Because you're my family, and I love," she gave her a strong embrace. "Don't worry," she said, her green eyes sparkling. "Things'll get better. I'll talk to Mama before you guys get there."

She shrugged her shoulders.

After quickly kissing the top of her sister's head, she turned and left. "I'm late for work!" she called. "Give Boris and Dad a kiss for me!"

Tanya shook her head and chuckled. "See ya, Natasha."

The sun greeted the city of New York with its cheerful rays. A cool breeze traversed through the large structures and soothed the citizens. Tanya opened the blinds to the apartment complex of her father. She observed the Twin Towers, the Chrysler building and all the people covering the streets. After turning on her dad's record player, one of her favorite songs blasted forth from the speakers. Occasionally, she turned back to catch her little brother, happily bouncing his head to the beat.

Though her dad confessed this music now coming out in the 1980s were not his personal preference, he greatly enjoyed listening along with his kids and bouncing with them. Since the bitter divorce with his wife and working two difficult jobs, he did everything he could to spend more time with them.

"Hey, Boris," she motioned to the little blonde jumping around. "Want some breakfast?"

He continued dancing for a moment, but then he turned around, big blue eyes wide.

"Okay," he said in almost a whisper. He came up to her and reached for her hand.

With a smile, she lead him to the kitchen and pulled out a box of his favorite cereal. He patiently waited at the table, his pudgy hands folded. She smiled and poured it in his Snoopy bowl. Quietly, he shoved spoonfuls in his mouth.

"So, what are we going to do today?" he asked her.

For a moment, she did not reply, but just closed her eyes.

"Well, I gotta clean the house, do the laundry. We'll need to hit the grocery store soon," she rubbed her face. "I'll need to finished my homework."

"We're gonna be very busy today then!"

She forced a laugh. "Basically, yes."

"But, we'll still have fun, I think," he raised his hands and made dancing movements. "Maybe we can have some time to dance!"

She grinned widely. "I hope so, little buddy," she jumped from the stool and started putting away the dishes and food. "We'll need to get ready to go to Mama's house at around five-ish, okay?"

The joy suddenly disappeared from Boris's face. "We do?"

Tanya's heart throbbed.

"Do we have to?"

"Yes," she sighed, slamming the cabinet door.

"I don't wanna go."

How could she blame him? It was almost the same routine every time: the two sisters and the little brother would arrive. However, the mother would be gone, until late that night, she would come on either with a man or a bottle in her hands, muddled with tears. Often times, if Natasha asked her any questions, the reply would be cursing or yelling. Little Boris had often been reduced to crying in the corner from fear.

It wasn't that she meant to however: ever since the divorce, she grew intensely desperate to find a wonderful new husband and stepfather. But, she always resided at the wrong place at the wrong time, meeting and mingling with all the wrong people. She believed that honestly was doing what was best for her kids.

"Don't worry," Tanya came up to him and scooped him up in her arms, twirling him in her arms. "It'll be just fine. Natasha's a big girl, and she's gonna talk to her before we go over, m'kay?"

She gave him a juicy smack on the cheek. He giggled.

"I love you, Tanya," he said.

After nuzzling his face, she replied,"

"Love ya too, you goof ball."

The day passed slowly, but not painfully. Tanya and Boris enjoyed their day together, blasting the soundtrack to "Flashdance" throughout the house. Happily, they danced their cares away. Twirling a rag or dancing with the broom, she successfully finished her work on the house. He would offer his help on the laundry, but the folding was always off. All the same, she allowed him. While they did that, they packed their suitcases for the weekend. Then, they proceeded to the store.

Unlike most children his age, the blonde, brown-eyed, seven-year-old possessed a far more melancholy aura. He held a lot of patience and understanding that even adults lacked. But, he still contained the same mischief and playfulness any young boy did. He loved playing pranks on Tanya and Natasha or wrestling with his father. Everyday, he looked forward to the days he and his red-haired sister visited the stores or the parks.

It saddened the sisters greatly that their darling, baby brother had to endure such hard times. His dad wished that he could somehow find a wonderful stepmother for him, but his highest priority was supporting them through his work.

He just wished for them to be happy.

Because both her big sister and her father worked two jobs, she, the youngest sister, was left caring for her baby brother and the rest of the house. She spent many days at home from school, with no free time to play or hang out with anyone. Natasha strived to become a nurse or a doctor. Every scent she earned directed towards that goal in mind. Being the eldest sister, she tried in every way to help her loving father. Her determination, high-spiritedness and diligence earned the admiration from her sister. It kept her going.

"Don't worry. Things will get better," was what she always said.

Slowly, but surely, she found herself beginning to believe it. If only something could be done about their mom.

When the evening arrived, and when Boris and Tanya were both prepared to leave, they sprawled across the couch, mindlessly watching television. He would randomly bounce up and down, giggling with excitement. But, her mind teased her, dozing in and out, border-lining sleep.

"Natasha's probably talking to her right now," she thought. "Wonder what's gonna happen."

Boris laughed again.

"_Damn, I'm tired_," she yawned. "_But, it'll be any minute. She'll call. Any minute._"

She closed her eyes, still leaning against the throw pillow on the couch. Her muscles slowly relaxed.

"_Any minute now."_

Finally, her consciousness surrendered to the blanket of sleep.

"_Any minute."_

"_Filthy bitch!"_

_A hard smack came across Lynn's face. Blood and sour saliva melded in her mouth. Her blue eyes widened as she held her burning cheek._

"_What did I ever do to you to deserve this, Ramon?" she shrieked at the man before her, as he gritted his teeth viciously. "When your father hears about the way you've been treating me the passed few-!"_

_In response, he began pulling her hair. She wailed and fell to her knees. He suddenly straddled his legs on her hips._

"_Talk," his hot breath seethed in her ear. "And your ass is mine."_

_This is it, she finally decided. She didn't care about his threats anymore. She was not going to stand for it! "No, it isn't," she growled. "I've had it!"_

_To his surprise, she gripped his wrists and threw him over onto his back. The breath was knocked out of him. In a fit of rage, she kicked his ribs as hard as she could repeatedly. She refused to give him any chance to harm her again. Her foot popped, but she would not give in._

"_This is for my sanity, you bastard!" she yelled violently, ramming her palm into his face._

"_DIE, YOU SON OF A-!"_ she threw the covers off her bed.

Suddenly, she woke up. Head and chest sweating and heart pounding, Lynn shakily rose her head from the pillow. There she was, in her little bedroom, the mirror on her dresser, the lacy curtains over her windows, a poster of "The Beatles" hanging on the wall.

She was here, she was in her home with her family.

A wave of nausea dominated her stomach. At once, she scrambled to the bathroom and held her head over the toilet.

It had been four weeks since those nightmarish days ended with her psychotic ex-boyfriend, but they still vividly haunted her mind, day in and day out. Even though he was locked away in prison, he still infested her peace of mind, like a parasite.

That morning, dark and cloudy, arrived late for Lynn Sayer. Nonetheless, the hustle and bustle of London could be heard even from inside. She called the jewelry store that morning to inform her boss that she had fallen ill and had been vomiting since four o'clock-which was in fact not a lie in the slightest. Of course, the old man grew very concerned and began asking more questions, but she just told him it was a virus.

Slowly, she tossed her legs over the bed and sulked over to the mirror. Her dark hair was disheveled and messy. Two steely, blue eyes, one covered with a cloudy film stared blankly back at her, dark circles infesting them. A scar infested her lip and jawline.

"Aye, beautiful as always," she grumbled, sarcastically.

Suddenly, a knock came to the door. The smell of hot chocolate and bread reached her nose.

"Lynn? You in there?" it was her dear mother.

"Yeah, come on in," she shook her head and scratched her back.

She entered, brown eyes sparkling gently. In her hands, a little silver tray sparkled with crumpets, oatmeal and tea resting upon them.

"I know it's a little late to be serving breakfast," she said, sweetly. "But, I thought you could use something to drink."

"Thanks," she replied, yawning and rubbing her face. "I'm not really that hungry though. Just hurled again."

Her mom exhaled sorrowfully as she placed the tray on her dresser. She came up behind her, took a brush from the dresser and began combing her daughter's hair.

"You know," she said. "You won't get in better if you just sit here in your room all the time. You have a job, four grandparents, a mother, a father, and two brothers that love you and would do anything for you, friends-"

"I don't have any friends anymore, Mum," she retorted, scratching her forehead.

"What? Not even Bethany?"

"She stopped talking to me after I moved in with Ramon. She never said why or anything. She just got mad, I guess," she shrugged.

"Well," her mother cleared her throat. "You have us, and you have a good job," with a rubber band in her math, she pulled back Lynn's hair and wrapped it around the heavy mass. "You need to get out, hun," bending down and resting her chin on her shoulder, she gently caressed her shoulders. "You need fresh air. Ramon isn't a part of your life anymore."

The young woman cringed. Uncomfortably, she pulled away and walked towards the bathroom, rubbing her head.

"Maybe so," she replied to her mother, splashing her face with water. "But, I don't feel like it right now. It's dark. It's rainy. I want to sleep."

Her mother persisted. "Have you tried visiting a doctor or a psychiatrist?"

"Mum, can we talk about this another time?" she rubbed her face with the towel. "I feel down-right shitty."

Defeated, she sighed and lifted herself from the stool at the dresser. "Alright then," she rolled her eyes. "I'll leave you to that then. But, just remember: you'll only truly be free when you finally let go."

She couldn't deny her mother's words. In the words of Hippocrates, "healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity." She needed to take the opportunities to heal and release her anger, her fear.

"Thanks, Mum," she replied. She hobbled over to her and kissed her cheeks.

She granted her daughter a loving, warm smile. Tears lightly brimmed her eyes, but she looked away.

"Sleep well, Lynn dear," she turned around, leaving the room.

Once she was alone, Lynn pulled out a small book from one of her sock drawers and switched off the lamp. Instead, she turned on the blue-ray television in her room and flopped on her bed. She rubbed her eyes and pulled out a pen. Then, she started to write:

_"Well, it's been four weeks yesterday that Ramon was taken by the police and thrown in jail. It's too bad, because I love his dad. Thankfully, he doesn't hate me. He's a karate dojo master. He takes honor very seriously. I still have bad nightmares about Ramon almost every night. It's like a tick on a dog. I just want to lose all of those images. I hope those memories just become distant. But, the fact they bother me everyday pisses me off honestly. When I looked at the scars on my back, breasts or lips, of course, what do they lead me back to? UGH. I hate it. Not to mention, one of my eyes can only see blurs and lights and shadows. Thank you for that, Ramon. I hope your rot and die!_

_As I ruminate the events that had taken place, I can't help but wonder what went wrong. Things were wonderful, before we moved in together. Was it embarrassment? What could it be? If he didn't love me anymore, why didn't he just break up with me, like any normal person would? What went wrong? What could I have done differently?_

_Maybe it wasn't be-maybe he was terrible person to begin with. Papa's always been right when he says I'm too hard on myself. It was his fault: he was always a spoiled rat who needed a good kick in the ass."_

When she stopped, she lowered her head and sighed. Her head felt like lead. She collapsed back onto the pillow. She thought about getting up, maybe taking a quick shower, but, her limbs ached so.

"C'mon," she slapped her arm over her eyes. "Move at least a little bit."

Mustering every bit of effort she possessed, she slowly pulled herself from the bed and sulked towards the bathroom.

"If I don't bathe now, I won't ever," she already unfastened the buttons on her shirt and removed her pants.

The steam from the shower head cleared her burning nostrils and eased her clogged sinuses. Because of the vomiting from that morning, her throat was starting to feel sore. After placing herself in the bath, she curled her knees to her chest and rested her head.

After graduating from college, Lynn labored in a karate dojo as the master's assistant for two years. The master was a good and honorable man. She admired him and hoped to take after him. During the time she learned from and worked under him, she met his second son, young Ramon, a dashing, talented man, who charmed and fascinated her. The two spent a lot of time together. After a few, measly months of dating and courting, they moved in together.

But, as it is commonly known, the choices of young adults never turn out to be the smartest.

Things descended quickly after her arrival. Every day, the young man grew more and more irritated, angrier, more violent. Most of his fury, he took out on Lynn, while at the same time taking a sadistic pleasure out of it. She received no explanation to the beginning of these cruel events. She even offered to see a counselor, hoping maybe something could be figured out. But, he refused to listen. She felt weak, helpless, like there was no way to escape. She wanted so much to tell her family, her brothers, even call the police. But, the one time she threatened to do so, he beat her even more.

"Try any of that shit," he seethed. "And I'll kill you."

As the days passed, she believed that there was no escape. The deviant actions increased in quantity. She decided finally that his threats did not concern her: she would break free no matter what. During the day, while he was out, she sneaked to a Krav Maga class, studying extra hours, preparing to face her next attack. One day, before it even happened, she called the police, informing them of what had been occurring. That night, she finally received the justice she so deserved. Ramon was taken into custody and imprisoned.

"Why didn't you even say anything?" her brother asked, horrified and distressed.

"It's hard when someone's threatening your life," she replied. "But, it's over now."

It was over, but the memories still clung to her mind. All she wished for, all she greatly desired was peace of mind, a sense of safety.

In the shower, Lynn rubbed her body vigorously with the wet rag. Lately, she morphed into a germ freak. She couldn't figure out for the life of her why this was. Every time she bathed now, she spent almost two hours, washing every inch of her, paying special care to her chest and face.

"I need to stop this," she thought. "But, I'll just feel restless if I don't. I'll make it quick."

She stayed to true her word. Finally, she turned off the water, dried off and stepped into some clean pajamas. She wrapped a towel around her head and headed back to her bed room. Her TV still lit the small room. "Dirty Harry" was on, at the moment.

"You gotta ask yourself a question," came the famous line. "Do I feel lucky?"

Lynn smirked. "Frankly, no."

"Well, do ya, punk?"

After jumping onto her downy blanket, she turned up the volume proceeding to watch the movie. Her muscles started to feel less tense. The beating of the rain against the roof top soothed her spirit. A weak smile crept to her scarred lips.

"Feels nice, calming," she whispered and closed her eyes.

She did not allow the memories of Ramon wear her down now. She needed sleep. She needed some rest. The TV became a soft drone in the background. She grasped the dark, brown teddy bear hiding in the corner of the bed and held it to her chest. She yawned deeply. She felt warm and cozy. Her eyes felt the heavy weight of sleep. Finally, she sunk into a deep slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

_Mmmm, it feels so lovely outside. I could sleep out in the garden all day._

The wind lightly whistled through the trees, keeping her cool as Alice lay in the warm sun. The soft grass served as the perfect bed for her weary head.

_Ah, I know you wanted to play with me, Lorina, but it's too lovely day not to just sleep. I apologize._

Suddenly, a "pitter-patter" across the ground caught her attention. After stirring a moment, she opened her eyes. Two, bright pink eyes watched her from the distance. A little pink nose twitched.

_Two, long white, ears. Wait, glasses? A vest? A pocket watch? Is that a white rabbit with clothes on?_

She shook her head. "I must be dreaming," she mumbled.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

She almost screamed when it directly got in her face and tapped her with its palm.

"What are you doing?" he demanded in his high voice. "You have to chase me!"

She blinked incomprehensibly.

_Why is it speaking to me? I must be REALLY exhausted if I'm already conceiving such peculiar dreams._

She decided to ignore it, simply closing her light, green eyes and rolling back on her side. She turned her back away from the rabbit.

Suddenly, she felt her self levitating off the ground. When she awoke, she found herself slung over the shoulder of a white haired man with long rabbit ears.

"I guess it can't be helped," a low voice said, sarcastically.

"What the-?" she yelped. "What are you doing? Put me down!" she held his ear fast.

"Yeeesh," he groaned with a light smirk. "Please don't scream in my air."

She proceeded to kick and flail.

"Who are you? Where are you taking me?"

"Down that hole," he pointed over the center of the garden, where indeed a large hole lay plain in sight.

"Put me down!" she demanded. "And what is that doing in my garden!"

"Sorry, Alice!" the man teased. "I'll put you down when we get there!"

To her dismay, he approached the edge of the abysmal aperture. The bottom could not even be perceived. She panicked. When he leapt, she shrieked.

"No, no, no!" she cried. tears suddenly producing from her eyes. "I don't want to die!"

"What's that?" the man asked.

"I don't want to die!"

"But, it isn't it fun to fall?" he grinned widely spreading his arms out. "And it's even more fun with you, Alice."

She closed her eyes, wishing the moment would end. For a brief moment, she braced herself for death.

Suddenly, the feeling disappeared. Her check was pressed against cool marble. Her dark lashes fluttered open, and she found herself, what appeared to be, at the top of a castle. She glanced around nervously.

"I-I'm alive?" she whispered. "Where am I?"

When she turned her eyes back to the front, the tall man, dressed in plaid and red, was there, smiling. He graciously held his hand out to her.

"This is Wonderland!" he said, cheerfully.

"W-Wonderland?" she echoed, dumbfounded.

"That's right! Welcome, Alice!"

She knitted her brows together suspiciously. "I don't know of any place like that. More importantly, how did you know my name?"

A light hint of pink tainted his white cheeks. "Of course, I would know your name, little Alice. I love you!"

Her heart jumped at the words, and her blood felt hot. _Is he a stalker a something? _She took a moment to observe him. _Bunny ears. Kidnapper. I definitely think he's some sort of pervert. _She pursed her lips an shuddered.

Still smiling, the man removed a small, crystal vial from his pocket. A strange blue fluid sloshed around inside.

"I need you to drink this," he said.

"No way, it's far too suspicious," she crossed her arms.

His smile suddenly faded, and he seemed mildly frustrated.

"Being difficult, huh?" then, he shrugged his shoulders. "Well, the game wouldn't be fun that way if it were easy."

_Game? _Her eyes widened. "_Every game has rules, did you know that? It's decided from the beginning."_ _My dream-!_

Alice nearly squealed the face of the rabbit man was directly in her face. She felt herself shrink back. Then, he grabbed her face and pressed his mouth to hers. Her heart pounded in her ears. The cool fluid ran down her throat.

_He-he's forcing it? _she almost wanted to throw up when she felt his tongue pushing the drink.

She had enough. Roughly, she pushed him, spluttering.

"What was that for?" she demanded.

"Thought I'd give you a hand since you were being so difficult," he said almost with a laugh. "Those are the rules."

_Rules. There's that word again. _"Don't ever touch me again!"

The man glanced around for a moment, then replied,

"I'm Peter White, by the way, and you, Miss Alice, need to get started!" he waved. "See you around!"

Alice wandered through the forest. With the soft wind blowing and the chilly air biting her cheeks, she still failed to believe that this was all a dream. Everything felt so real. The delicate blue sky, the elegant, emerald trees, the soft grass.

"It's like I'm still in my own world," she thought, watching the thin, feathery clouds float by. "Except for the really weird people, obviously." She felt a weird shiver shoot down her spine when the image of Peter forcing the drink down her throat resurfaced.

So much had happened in such a short amount of time, so many people had she encountered, it was taking a while for her mind to settle down. She scratched the side of her head, groaning to herself,

"One thing's for sure," she pursed her lips. "I'm definitely not getting near that creep, Peter again!"

Suddenly, the bushes creating the path before her rustled incessantly. Her heart jumped in her throat, then it began to race. Her blood felt cold, and her legs twitched as if she were about to take flight. She was not ready to be attacked or molested again anytime soon!

Then, to her surprise, a great force rammed into her abdomen and knocked her flat on her back. This triggered a horrible ache to overtake her. After her head spun a little, she looked to find a pair of brown eyes staring into hers.

"Waah!" she yelped, flinching.

"Please, please don't hurt me!" the voice came from a thin, frail girl with blonde hair shaping around her face. Her little body trembled all over, consumed with fear.

"Don't be afraid!" Alice held up her hands to show that she was unarmed. "I don't have a weapon!"

"You aren't? How can I be certain?"

"I'm not a part of this country!"

She blinked for a moment, wringing her hands. "Are you sure? Just a few minutes ago, I came across a strange group of people getting all in my face, asking these weird questions. Two of them had large axes in their hands, and they were waving them around," she shook her head, unable to think.

"Are you a," Alice knelt before her and cocked her head. "Are you a stranger? An outsider?"

"An-an outsider?"

"Are you from the normal world?" she tapped her lip and pondered.. "Where are you from?"

"Eeem," she lowered her eyes. "I am from Japan."

Japan? the name echoed in her mind. How did a Japanese girl enter one of her dreams? Or was there more to this story? "How did you get here? Did a man with white rabbit ears lead you here or what?"

The girl's tense muscles slowly relaxed. "No, I came upon the entrance myself. I remember seeing a beautiful garden, like a giant maze. Then, I saw a wooden door covered with hearts. I was very curious, so i just decided to come in."

_How odd, _Alice thought. _I wonder how this came about._

Suddenly, her face seemed to beam. Her almond-shaped eyes even began to sparkle. "I-I actually ran here! I was actually able to come here on my feet! It didn't hurt at all! I didn't have a spasm or anything!"

Alice, taken aback by the randomness of the comment, slide her fingers through her hair. She tried to understand the girl's excitement. "Umm, that's good, I guess."

Her smile faded. "Oh, right," she fidgeted nervously, pink tinged her cheeks. "You wouldn't really know what a big deal that is to me."

"I'm sorry," she shrugged and smile awkwardly. "I would celebrate with you better if I knew! But, if you're excited, that's great!"

"No, it's okay," she laughed. "We did just meet after all." she held a fist over her mouth and cleared her throat. "You see, I was born with an unfortunate illness called muscular dystrophy, I think that's how they said it," she lifted the green skirt of her lacy dress and showed her extremely thin and bony legs.

Alice clamped a hand over her mouth to conceal a gasp. _Oh, the poor thing!_ she thought.

"My legs are really weak. I can't even run or walk for very long without enduring these painful muscles spasms," she rubbed her arms. "My arms and hands will too, but they're not as bad as my legs.

"Oh, you poor thing!" she came up to her and placed her warm hands on her tiny shoulders.

"That's okay!" she grinned. "You get used to it eventually. Besides, when I arrived here, the pain completely disappeared! I've been able to walk and run with no spasms! It's amazing! I've never been so excited, so energetic in all my life!" she looked like a dynamite about to explode with energy.

The brown-haired girl swallowed a chuckle. "By the way, I'm Alice Liddell," she graciously held out a hand.

The small teen took it cheerfully and shook it enthusiastically.

"Rea Kato," she replied. "Konnichiha!"

_A light chuckle escaped her lips. I have no idea what she said,_ she thought. _But, she's adorable! _"My pleasure!"


	3. Chapter 3

Cool, gentle grass. A soft breeze. A crumpled leaf falling on her face. Warm sunlight.

_This is definitely NOT the apartment_, Tanya thought.

When she opened her eyes, she nearly screamed when she found herself in what looked like the middle of nowhere. A thick forest surrounded by curvy trees.

"What the hell is this?" she rose from her spot and rubbed her neck. The back of her sweatshirt was covered in grass, so she brushed it off.

As she stared into the long, seemingly never ending forest, she felt her stomach rot. How she managed to come across this was beyond her.

"I fell asleep on the couch-is this a dream?" she blinked. "Well, no point in backing down now, dream or not."

With a gulp, she started running. She would dodge and duck, avoiding roots and branches. She was not a fan of running and did not participate often. This would lead her to bend over, panting for a moment, but she still continued onward. Time passed, and it seemed like she made no progress.

"When will this forest end?" she groaned, placing her hands on her hips.

Suddenly, the rustle of the trees caused her nerves to jump. She glanced around.

"Must be my imagination," she shook her head and continued running.

She checked everywhere. Something inside told her that this place was unusual, strange. Maybe even something was wrong?

Suddenly, she bumped into something soft, causing her to fall to the ground. Stars appeared before her eyes for a moment, and her blood rushed to her head. After shaking her head, she looked up to perceive a figure, cloaked in a dark brown cape. She scooted away. When it pivoted, a man's face was revealed, concealed in a silver mask. A mop of dark hair covered his forehead.

"Ah, excuse me!" he said, holding out his hand. "My bad!"

He removed his mask and pulled back his hood. A pair of cheerful brown eyes greeted her.

"You talkin' to me?" her brows knitted together. "Who the hell are you?"

Blinking in surprise, he took a step back. "Feisty, are we?"

"Well, wouldn't you be suspicious if you fell asleep in one place and woke up in another?" Tanya crossed her arms.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Mm, maybe. I never know where I am. I'm always lost," he turned back around and held out his arms. "You're looking at a man with the worst sense of direction."

She scoffed. "That's kind of an oxymoron."

He chuckled. "Isn't it?"

After rising from her fall, she brushed off her jeans. He took a moment to watch her, observe her. He seemed confused.

"Are you-?" the man began. "Are you from around here?"

She cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

Slowly, he approached her. "Are you from Wonderland?"

_Wonderland? Like __Alice in Wonderland__? _"No, I'm from the magical world of Manhattan."

She meant that sarcastically, but he looked at her as if she had been speaking in a foreign language.

"Never mind," she waved her hand and sighed. "No, I'm not from here."

His face brightened. "Wow! I've never met an outsider before!" he got uncomfortably close to her face. "I'm Ace! What's your name?"

She stepped back. "Hey, there, honey. Watch the bubble space, please."

He laughed sheepishly. "I apologize; did I make you uncomfortable?"

She pursed her lips. "Kind of a silly question, but whatever," she shoved her hands in her pockets, and she brushed passed him, shaking her head.

The man, Ace, held his mouth open in an offended manner. When he ran back up to her, he yanked her red pony tail.

"I didn't catch your name?" he asked, tilting his head innocently.

"That's because I didn't give it to you, genius," she smirked. "Tanya," she stopped a moment to hold out her hand. "Tanya Janning. Nice to meet you."

Shaking his head, obviously very perplexed by this girl's odd behavior, he stood there awkwardly for a moment. She just chuckled and walked on.

"Fine, stand there stupidly, if you want," she laughed.

As if awakening from a trance, he scratched the back of his head in a dumbfounded manner. Then, he turned to see the New Yorker walking deep into the forest.

"Catch ya later, Ace!" she called.

"H-Hey! Wait a minute!" he replied. "Come back!"


	4. Chapter 4

Lynn, stilled curled up, still peaceful, perceived strange rustlings surround her. She even began to heard voices:

"Is she a spy perhaps?"

"No! She's not from around here at all! Look at the attire she's wearing."

"Are those-? Are those scars on her face?"

Suddenly, her muscles tightened. When she opened her eyes, she could only see blurs of green, blue hinted with specks of red. At once, her defenses flew up. With a shout, she backed away.

"She-she's awake!" came the man's voice.

"Get away! Get away!" she repeated. She was still undergoing morning blindness, so she covered her face.

Something sharp and metallic tapped her cheek.

"Who are you?" the voice demanded. "What are you doing lying in the Queen's private gardens?"

Finally, the blurriness took flight, and her sight focused. She saw two men with helmets and strange attire, somewhat like how guards might have dressed in the 18th Century, complete with the long quotes and vintage designs. Their faces were shrouded. She felt her blood run cold. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound emitted.

"Speak!"

In response, her leg flew across one of the heads, and at once, she bolted. She did not care where she went, just as long as it was away from there. The shrubbery twisted and turned into a perplexing labyrinth. She had no idea where she needed to go.

"Bollocks!" she moaned, holding her stomach. "What is this nonsense!"

The guards were hard on her tracks. When she turned around to face them, she held up her fists gloved fists-she was surprised to see that she was dressed in her work out clothes, instead of her pajamas. As soon as they appeared in sight, she gave them no time to think. She lunged at them.

"Watch out!" the one on the left cried.

Lynn encircled one of their throats with her strong hands, tightened her grip as hard as she could. Then, she threw him over on top of the other. They stumbled over backwards. She kicked them in the ribs to ensure herself that they were down.

"Stay," she raised her eyebrow. Then, once again, she fled.

Her pulse throbbed in her head. Even wen she stopped to breath, it refused to settle. She glanced around at her surrounding for a moment: a lush garden, a majestic palace, warm sunshine. It seemed almost like a paradise in once sense. But, the biggest question was how she even arrived there in the first place.

"Hurry! She went that way!"

"Don't worry! I'll take her down!" that was a new voice.

Her heart raced even faster-which seemed almost impossible that it could even increase!

"Where to go? Where to go?" tears formed at the rims of her eyes. "What to do?"

Suddenly, she spotted a small heart-shaped statue at far right hand corner from where she stood. The footsteps came closer. Above the bushes, she could see tall white, rabbit ears. Without another thought, she grabbed the statue. As soon as the figures approached, she tossed it at them as hard as she yelped and fell over. There was a third, mixed in the bunch: a white haired man, with the long ears, as she had seen, glasses and a red coat.

After swallowing away a lump in her throat, Lynn watched as the albino pointed a 9mm handgun at her.

"Damn it!" she yelled, dodging the first shot.

Crawling from beneath the dog pile, he regained his balance and continued shooting. Border-lined hyperventilation, she bent and twisted, missing each bullet. He came closer, still shooting. With a gulp, she dashed for him, elbow pointing straight as his ribs. She rammed into with enormous force. The breath was knocked from him as he collapsed on his back. She straddled his sides with her legs and struck his face repeatedly, until his glasses finally broke.

"S-Stop it!" he cried.

Finally, he gripped her shoulders and shoved her off of him. Her head hit the ground with great force.

Stars appeared before her eyes. Moaning and in pain, she cupped her hands around her forehead. Suddenly, two strong hands took her fast and began dragging her away.

"Wh-where are you taking me?" Lynn shrieked, desperately squirming and struggling.

Biting his lip, the white-haired man thwacked the top of her head, quick and hard.

"Silence!" he commanded. "You shall pay for this felony!"


	5. Chapter 5

_~ For the record, transcribing these manga scenes to writing, especially ones that happen so fast is a pain in the rear._

Alice and Rea strolled together, observing their new new surroundings. As big as Wonderland seemed at first, there were four main areas: the Castle, belonging to the King and Queen of Hearts, the magnificent mansion of the Mad Hater, the Amusement Park, and the majestic Clock Tower. All were enveloped by a seemingly, never ending forest. But, being as they were two young girls, no later than their teens, they still had quite a bit to traverse.

As they exited the mouth of the forest, they came upon the magnificent, white mansion. Rea pulled Alice's sleeve.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I just left this place," the girl whispered. "Be careful; there are two guards with axes. They really," she raised her eyebrow. "Uh, let's just say they have a really creepy sense of humor."

She gulped and glanced at the enormous, iron gate before them. No one stood at their posts momentarily, but she glanced around nervously.

"Hallo!" Alice called. "Is anyone there?"

No response. Patting little Rea on the shoulder, she lead her to the bars and peered through, observing the marble edifice. The only sound to be heard was the whistling wind through the trees.

"Hm, interesting," suddenly, a voice came from behind their heads. Cold blades touched their throats. "I didn't think you'd come back, little girl."

"Eek!" Rea screamed. "Get away, get away!"

When Alice turned around, two boys, with identical uniforms, yet different colors were smiling impishly at them. In their hands, two axes shimmered in the light.

"Who-Who are you?" she demanded.

The boys looked exactly alike-identical twins, obviously.

"We are the guards here, little lady," the one dressed in blue declared.

"We get rid of all trespassers."

She held Rea protectively.

"Don't worry." they crowded the quivering body in her arms. "It'll be over soon."

"That's right. It won't hurt that much."

"Wa-wait-!" Alice held up her hands as the axes came down.

"You two!"

At once, they stopped. In unison, they pivoted to the left. A tall man with copper hair stood, crossing his arms and tapping his foot. She pursed her lips in disgust as two, long ears protruded from the top of his head.

"What exactly are you doing?" he demanded.

"Don't screw with us, newbie!" the one in blue seethed.

"Who are these girls? Are they guests?" the hare scratched the back of his head. "Or spies?"

"Who cares?" the brother replied.

"Well, if they are spies," he suddenly pulled a revolver, seemingly from mid air. "I want to test this gun out first."

Alice's heart was racing. "Why are you doing this! We just arrived, and we have no idea where we are! You cannot just kill us for no reason!"

Just to add to the chaos, another man crept up behind the girls. A strong hand firmly gripped her shoulders.

"Elliot, please," came the deep resonate voice. "I told you specifically not to kill anyone on the premises without my consent."

The hare blinked in surprise. "B-Blood," he shifted his eyes. "I-I apologize."

She sighed in relief, still holding the little Japanese girl. Just as she turned around to thank the man, the face staring down at her about made her heart stop.

Jet black hair, emerald eyes. However, he reminded her so much of _him._

_He-He looks exactly like-_

Her hands fell to her sides. Rea opened her eyes. Causing her to squeal, she was dropped to the ground. Alice turned and ran from the mansion, through the forest.

"W-wait-!" the blonde cried. "Alice! Come back!" she buried her face in her hands, despairingly.

Finally, when she left, an awkward, uncomfortable silence gripped everyone's tongue. The hare, Elliot, turned to the man in the white coat.

"What was that all about?" he asked, rhetorically.

He raised a dark eyebrow. Then, he bent down to Rea's level. After tapping her shoulder, he took her hand and raised her to her feet.

"These two damsels are foreigners," he explained. "Am I right, m'lady?"

She widened her frightened eyes and nodded. Elliot came up to her, face hardened. But, after observing her for a few seconds, he smiled warmly.

"Aw, poor thing," he said, patting the top of her head. "You wouldn't hurt a fly, would you?"

The man with the top hat rolled his eyes and re-entered the mansion. Blushing mildly, she smiled and lowered her heard.

"You must be starving," he pulled her to her feet. "My name is Elliot March."

The two young guards coughed resentfully.

Elliot rolled his eyes. "That's Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, the grounds' guards."

Upon hearing their names, they bowed with an aura of pride.

"But," she tilted her head. "But, which one s which?"

The hare shook his head. "I could tell you now, but they always end up switching places. Don't worry though. You'll get used to their little tricks," he threw a harsh glare at them. "So, tell me dear," he touched her shoulders and smiled. "What's your name?"

With a nervous laugh, she slid her fingers through her hair.

"Rea Kato," she said, following with a little bow.

He placed a finger over his lip. "Hm, well, then Miss Kato, consider yourself welcomed!


	6. Chapter 6

"Yeesh," Tanya panted, rubbing the leaves from her hair. "Are we there yet?" she turned to glare at Ace.

The shrouded wanderer took a moment to scan the premises.

"Wow," she shook her head. "You just disproved the cliche that women had a bad sense of direction."

He didn't hear the insult-or was too dense to realize what she was saying. "Oh, there it is!" he grinned sheepishly. "I was that close all along?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Genius," as she walked by, she grabbed the red-sleeve of his coat. "C'mon, I'm tired. I need a place to sit down."

"W-wait!" he protested. "Do you even know where we're going?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I can figure it out."

To his surprise, she dragged him through the garden directly to the front door of the castle, as if she'd been there a thousand times.

Suddenly, shouts and echoes resounded from within. She was taken aback. Then, she glanced over at Ace questioningly.

He rubbed his nose. "I suppose the Queen of Hearts is having another trial right now."

Her brows furrowed. "Queen of Hearts?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yes! Do you want to see?"

Before she could give her answer, he snatched her wrist. He lead her to one of the windows, allowing her to peak through. She stared at him curiously, and he simple shifted his eyes to the beautiful woman, dressed in red and dark curls bouncing around her neck. She looked pensive and somewhat angry.

This was Vivaldi, the Queen of Hearts, and at her side stood the less edgy King of Hearts.

Shoved to the ground was a dark haired woman, in long, dark jeans, black tennis shoes, a gray shirt and a charcoal coat. Ace widened his eyes.

"Another foreigner?" he whispered. "Peter? What are you doing?"

Tanya was just confused.

"So, she attacked you and these guards in the middle of the gardens?" the Queen pointed her long, golden staff at Peter.

He nodded, expression cold and harsh. "Yes, ma'am. She had invaded the premises!"

"But, what was she doing earlier? What was she doing before you came in, Mr. White?" she crossed her arms.

"Fighting the guards."

"And what was she doing before then?"

The soldiers gulped and glanced at each other.

"Uh-" one cleared his throat. "Sh-she was sleeping." Things didn't look good for them.

Slowly, she rose from her thrown. With an aura of elegance, she approached the young woman. She motioned the men to back away. When they released her, she exhaled exasperatingly and fell on her hands. Vivaldi took the woman's chin and observed her face carefully: messy, dark hair, one pale blue, another scarred and covered with an odd film, two little scars infesting her trembling lips.

Her face softened a bit. "What's your name?"

"What's it to you if I'm screwed anyway?" her accent revealed that she hailed from Britain. (At least, Tanya recognized it.)

"Come now," she said. "Tell me your name."

After staring into the Queen's now gentle eyes, the fugitive replied,

"Lynn. Lynn Sayer."

The smile on the Queen's face indicated that she somewhat liked this stranger. Suddenly, she glared at Peter.

"What is wrong with you?" she demanded. "Can you not see that this poor stranger was just terrified? It is obvious that she is not from here, so she was acting only out of self defense!"

The foreigner, Lynn appeared even more confused-so did the Queen's subjects.

"Get out of here! If you so much as breath incorrectly in her direction, I will severe your heads from your neck!" she shouted. "Get out! Now!"

The guards quickly fled. Peter gawked, utterly appalled.

"Your Highness-!"

She bit her lip. He decided not to argue any further. After clearing his throat, he brushed his shoulder off, pivoted and exited. When he came outside, Ace grabbed Tanya's shoulders and ducked behind the bushes. The rabbit ears protruding from his head twitched, which caused him to skim the area.

"Who is that?" Tanya whispered.

"Peter White," his breath came against her ear. "He's sort of the Queen's right hand man. He does a lot of diplomatic work and such. You know, the boring stuff," he winked.

"Right, right."

Suddenly, the bushes were split, and Peter's glasses shimmer through the opening. He seemed rather irritated.

"Afternoon, Peter!" Ace greeted cheerfully.

"Ace!" he spat. "What are you doing here?"

He rested his chin on the girl's shoulder. "Just spending time with my new friend, Tanya Janning. She's a foreigner, you know."

All of a sudden, his face altered to that of surprise. He gasped lightly. "What? A third one? How is that possible?"

She scowled. "I'd like that to be explained to me! I just woke up, lost in some big ass forest!"

The rabbit's ears twitched again. "Do you happen to know an Alice Liddell?"

She shook her head. "I know that's a character in some book though, not a person."

"You mean, there's more?" Ace inquired. "Damn. That's confusing."

Peter nodded. "Seems like we have some things to clear up," he turned to Tanya. "Do you have a place to stay, Lady Janning?"

She laughed in an embarrassed fashion. _Lady?_ she thought. _Yeah, right. _"No, I just got here."

He nodded. "Ace, Knight to the Queen will find you some place to stay."

She rolled her eyes. "Most likely, he'll screw up trying to find it, and I'll end up doing it myself."

The two widened their eyes at the surprising brashness. Then, Peter snickered, and the knight crossed his arms, quite affronted. After the white rabbit disappeared from the bushes, the two rose to their full height, wiping the leaves sticking to them.

"Well," he shrugged his shoulders. "What's your pleasure? Where would you like to stay?"

She shook her heard. "Anywhere, just as long as it has a bed and something to eat."

He grinned. "I've got an idea."

He graciously held out his hand to her.

"Wow, aren't we chivalrous?" she smirked and took his arm.

"I'm a knight!" he declared. "It's my job!"

Chuckling amongst themselves, the two proceeded through the forest once more


	7. Chapter 7

Sliding her fingers through her ratted hair, Lynn gawked at Queen Vivaldi, unsure how to respond to her release. Elegantly, the majestic woman held out her hand, smiling.

"A 'thank you' would be appropriate," she said with a wink.

Awakening from her trance, she shook her head and nodded. "Aye, you're right. Thank you."

"Tell us, Lynn," she took her rough, chapped hands into her soft ones. "Tell us about yourself. We wish to know," she almost acted like a curious child. "It is not very often we receive strangers in our country."

The Englishwoman seemed confused at the request.

"Come with us, Lynn," she urged. "Please, stay at our palace. You are more than welcome, and we must compensate for our subjects foolish behavior!"

Lynn felt very overwhelmed. "Whoa, whoa, there Your Majesty," she took a step back. "This is all very kind of you, but, I just met you, and I have some trust issues. Nothing personal or anything," her back slouched, and she shoved her hands in her pockets. She kept her eyes glued to the ground.

Vivaldi's excitement suddenly diminished. This stranger seemed so sorrowful, so afraid of something. She could see it past her hard, angry expression.

"Well," gently, she placed a hand on the woman's hard shoulder. "We will help you with these 'issues' of yours. Come and stay."

When she raised her head, Lynn chuckled a little. "You sound like a therapist or something."

The Queen cocked her head. "We beg your pardon?"

"Ah, forget it," she sighed and rubbed her nose. "Fine, I'll stay for the night. I am rather baked," she rubbed her eyes.

"Oh, good!" she folded her perfectly smooth fingers. "We are more than glad to have you with us! Promise us, that first thing tomorrow, you will partake breakfast with us."

She blinked at the lady, almost as if she didn't believe such a person existed.

"Aye, I will," she scratched the back of her head, almost shyly. "Tell me when and where, and I'll be there with bells on."

At once, she grasped her hands again. "Oh, we look forward to it! We shall now call some servants to prepare your room!"

But, Lynn's eyes again were cast to the ground, ponderous and sad, leaving the Queen only to wonder what secrets they might hide


	8. Chapter 8

After running for a seemingly endless amount of time to escape the Hatter's mansion, Alice slumped over and panted. She glanced around the area to see if anyone was following her. She lowered her head, feeling somewhat ashamed of herself.

"That wasn't him," she told herself, placing her hand over her heart. "He isn't here. He's with-" to finish her sentence, an image of her ex-lover and Lorina flashed before her mind. The were holding hands, laughing and talking.

She swallowed hard.

"Well, the only way to go now is forward."

When she emerged from the forest, she made her way over the the large, majestic tower before. It resembled the kind of fortress one might have seen on a castle in the Middle Ages. The winding staircase was long and exhausting to climb, but she proceeded forth-despite thehe was stunned to find that night had already arrived, although it was noon just a few minutes ago. Dusk did not approach. Sunset never came. She had to in-act a double take in order to fully realize it.

"Did-did night time just come?" she blinked and shook her head."This place is unreal!"

With a sigh, she turned the last corner of the tower, where the night sky opened like a giant canvas painted with stars. Suddenly, at the center of this painting, a tall, slim man stood, watching, observing the planets, asteroid and heavenly bodies. Long, dark hair tied back flowed down his back. As soon as the bottom of her foot touched the final step, he pivoted around in a flash, glaring at her.

"Who comes?" he demanded, shortly.

Alice was taken aback by his cold voice. "I-uh-g-good evening. I apologize-"

"What are you doing here?" he narrowed his sapphire eyes. "Leave immediately!"

She was starting to feel very afraid. "I-I-I apologize! I did not know this was your home! You see, I was kidnapped by a man named Peter, and I-"

He firmly grabbed one of her shoulders, losing patience quickly. "I care not what your story is. Just leave this instant! Return to your home at once!"

She bit her lip and stomped her foot. "Geez, what is with you! Even if I did go back, I wouldn't know how to!" she felt her emotions flutter, and her shoulders tremble. "Getting kidnapped, falling through a hole, being forced to drink a strange potion, and almost axed to death: I've been through enough already."

Then, for a moment, his anger completely faded and was replaced with surprise. He shook his head, blinking.

"What? Potion?" he echoed.

She nodded. "Yes, it was in a little crystal bottle with a heart seal."

Finally, he calmed down. "That must mean you are a foreigner, correct?"

With a sigh, she lowered her head.

"When you mentioned a man named 'Peter'," he curled a finger over his top lip. "Did you mean Peter White?"

She cringed at the name. "That's right."

He grumbled and sucked his lower lip into his mouth. "Damn him! Starting this without my consent," after shaking his head, the man turned and motioned Alice to follow him. "I will explain everything."

The main room of the tower resembled a shop for clocks. Clocks of all types hung everywhere; large, minuscule, finely adorned, simple. The acoustics enhanced the ticking, and at once, it became a symphony, filled with assorted pitches and tones of the clicks. After she gawked at the unusual surrounding, Alice finally pulled out a chair before the man's large desk and sat in front of him. His eyes grew very solemn.

"I am Julius Monrey," he began. "You, Alice Liddell are a foreigner, an alien, a stranger to this country. Now, it is normally the case that they can come and go as they please, foreigners that is, but this was not the case with you."

She scowled and shook her head.

"But, I will tell you this now," he opened his bottom drawer and pulled out a brown piece of paper. "this place is too dangerous for you to be wandering about alone. You at least have to be aware of where you are."

She nodded. "I've been so lost and confused so far. That'll be helpful."

When he unwrapped the paper, a large map of the Country of Hearts was spread across the desk. She leaned in a bit closer to receive a better view. After closing his eyes to ponder a moment, Julius pointed to the Mansion etched into the chart.

"This here is the Hatter's Mansion," he began."Elliot March and the Bloody Twins, who work for lord here, gladly swing their weapons around recklessly, regardless of the consequences."

She widened her eyes.

"Consider yourself providential in this case."

"Well, a man stopped him. I think he was called Blood."

"Ah, yes, Blood Dupre," he paused. "He's the Mafia Boss."

She gasped lightly.

"Yes, they're called the Hatter Family-he's the boss."

"Well," she tapped her lip. "He did say not to kill anyone without his consent."

"Yes, you would have been slain, if he permitted it."

How blunt and honest he was.

Then, he shook his head. "They're mad, crazy. It's best to stay away from them."

"Yes, I will," most definitely.

"This area, as well as the Amusement Park, run by the Marquis Gowland and the Castle of Hearts, ruled by the Queen of Hearts," he pointed to the map accordingly. "Are locked in quite a power struggle," his brows knitted together. "Foreigners share no part in this, so t'would be best to stay uninvolved. The Clock Tower is the only place that is neutral, and that is where we are now."

Alice rolled her neck. Then, she looked ruminated his words. She found it most peculiar and confusing, this whole idea of a political tangle between the Queen, a Marquis and the Mafia.

"That at least explains why everyone is aiming guns and axes at each other," she then said aloud.

With a sigh, Julius said,

"You will figure everything out soon."

"You said something about foreigners being allowed to come and go as they please?" she folded her hands beneath her chin.

"Yes, why?"

"Well," she rubbed her cheek with her thumb. "back at the Hatter's mansion, I found another foreigner."

He jolted. He was quite in awe and disbelief. "What?"

She nodded. "Yes, she wasn't brought here though. She found her way through a garden, I think. Her name was Rea Kato, a girl from Japan."

He rose from his seat, completely stunned. It had been made clear to her that foreigners were a rarity here in Wonderland, so the thought of more than one finding their way must have greatly baffled him.

"Yes," he calmly replied. "Yes, that is possible," then, he cleared his throat.

"What about me? How can I leave?" she found herself imploring almost desperately. "I want so much to go home."

For just a second, he gazed sympathetically into her eyes, Then, he glanced at the ground.

"I'm sorry to say that it will not be so easy for you," Julius explained. "You drank that potion, therefore you must participate in the game. First of all, you cannot leave alone."

She shrugged her shoulders and brushed her brown hair from her shoulders. "Why don't you just take me home?"

"No, it's not that easy," he replied, crossing his arms.

"Well, I'm confused!" Alice whined. "You and Peter have both been saying things about games and rules and whatever!"

"You could have left, but because of the potion, you are required to participate."

Suddenly, she caught glance of the window behind him: the sky had transformed into a bright blue, birds were singing, white, fluffy clouds caressed the horizon. The sun's golden rays greeted those around it.

It was day.

Alice's heart pounded. "But, how-? It was night a minute ago!"

"Don't worry about it," he swerved his chair. "It is normal in this world."

But, she could not help but drop her teeth at the sight. This land made no sense!

Then, she remembered something important: she had fallen asleep in the garden. Her sister leaving to grab a card game. This was a dream.

It's only a dream.

"It's a dream world, right?" she asked him, almost in absent-minded manner.

He rolled his eyes with irritation. "Think what you will, but it will never end, until you finish the game."

After awakening from her temporary trance, she turned to him with her hands on her hips.

"Alright, what do I have to do?" she asked, firmly.

He was obviously growing weary of this conversation, for he seemed to purse his lips or exhale irascibly. He even begun tapping his foot.

"That bottle will fill up more and more as you meet new people," he explained. "Fill it to the top, or in other words, meet knew people. Then, you will permitted to leave, as long as you are not alone." He pulled out a small screw driver from his desk, removing his gaze from Alice.

She smirked and nodded. This was no challenge for her. "Alright, sounds easy enough. I'll get it done. I promise."


	9. Chapter 9

_Lynn. Lynn. _

"What?" she fluttered her eyes open. All she could perceive was a blurry mess, fuzzy light.

_Lynn. _She felt a pelt across her neck. _Look at me when I'm talking to you, bitch._

"Ramon! NO!" she flailed her arms around everywhere. "Get away, you sick fu-"

Her head was yanked back by her hair.

"NO!" her hands encircled a pair of wrists and tossed a heavy body aside. "I told you never again, you bastard!"

"NO!" she encircled her arms around something squishy and soft. "Wha-What?"

It was only her downy pillow. Still trapped in a fit of rage, she yelled and slammed it onto the ground.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" she repeated, punching the mattress. "Damn it!"

Finally, she breathed slowly, catching her calm, realizing that she was in reality, no harm was to come to her. After wiping droplets of sweat from her brow, she slowly raised her head. A knock came to her door.

She gasped for a second.

"Wait-" she shook her head. Tall ceiling. Tall windows. Beautifully adorned furniture.

No, this wasn't her humble little abode anymore.

Suddenly, a loud tapping came to her front door.

"Wh-" she fumbled around, snatched the sheet from her bed and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Who is it?"

The knocking silenced, and the door was opened. In came Vivaldi, dressed in a deep maroon. Her hair was down in lovely curls. Her hands rested on her hips.

"T'is Vivaldi," she assured her. "We heard you screaming? What is the matter?"

"Eh?"

"We heard you screaming from the bedroom. Are you alright?"

Lynn blinked, stunned for a moment. Finally, she scratched the back of her head. She didn't really want to say anything about her nightmare, especially to someone she had barely known, why she had fallen in the cold, brick floor.

"Uh," she shrugged her shoulders. "Just-em-just had a bad nightmare is all."

The Queen crossed her arms, almost as if she didn't believe her. "Those seem like a little more than just dreams if it causes you to shriek so loud," she replied.

When she reached out to touch her shoulder, she observed her guest's face curiously.

"Too long to explain," she shook her head. "I'd rather not say," slowly, she rose from the ground and cracked her neck. "Is it okay if I go on a walk or something? My back is killing me."

_What a strange person this is, _Vivaldi thought. _Nothing at all like the people of Wonderland. _"Ah, yes, if you feel as though you must. But, please, can you tell us a little about yourself? After all, you are a stranger. We do not receive many strangers."

As she pulled on the sleeves of her coat, she sighed and shook her head.

"There's not much to say," she replied, shoving her hands in her pocket. "Born in London. 26 years old. I have a mum, papa, two brothers, grandparents. I work at a jewelry shop," she shrugged her shoulders. "Em, not much to tell."

Vivaldi wished to ask her so many questions now! But, before she could let any of them escape, the young lady waved her off.

"But, I'm gonna head on outside and clear my head," she slid her fingers through her hair repeatedly.

"Wait, Lynn-!" she reached for her arm. "Why are you trying so hard to avoid us? Have you done something wrong? We granted you your life, you realize!"

"I'm not trying to avoid you," she retorted, confused. "Where did you get that idea? Just need sometime to think, that's all."

She knitted her brows together. "Is this true?"

With a shake of her head, Lynn replied,

"Calm down, your royalness. It's fine. No need to get too sensitive. I'll be back, I promise."

After exhaling, indignantly, the Queen crossed her arms and leaned against the door, watching as her strange guest made her way down the long foyer.

When Lynn exited the castle, the sun was resting along the horizon, she assumed, to greet with its morning light, but she noted that it was settling to the west.

"Damn, I must've napped, a while then," she thought. "But, wasn't it night when I slept?"

She continued her way, refusing to make any eye contact with the guards, who's faces were shadowed beneath their caps. The garden maze weaved left and right, until the exit lead her to a long forest with bending trees. She inhaled the cool, fresh air, allowing the peaceful sounds to calm her soul, relax her mind. As she wandered, she felt someone disturbed that even in this magical place, dreams of her ex-boyfriend still haunted her, even if they were somewhat surreal and less clear. She couldn't figure which was worse, the clearer dreams or the distant ones. At least, in the normal world, the dreams were mostly memories. But, here, they ran amuck.

"Shit," she grumbled, rubbing her head. "I don't need any new crap to bother me even more."

Then, there was this place: waking up in some magical place, finding herself only to be attacked by three, very bizarre men, being arrested and held up for trial, then being released by the Queen who allowed her to stay, but wanted to know so much about her.

What kind of strange place was this? Why was everyone dressed so peculiarly? What with the old fashioned appearances, manner of speech, construction of the plantations and facilities? Everything seemed so random and backwards. She had to keep her guard up at all costs.

She continued walking, refocussing her mind on only the present moment: the gentle wind, the cool, evening temperatures, the leaves tinged with gold, the branches curving over her head, like a sanctuary. Although she remained perplexed at the sudden arrival, it wasn't quite so bad.

"Maybe it's a dream," she laughed. "I guess anything's better than getting in a fight or sleeping at the moment."

If it was a dream, it was far too complex, detailed and even magical. Was it an hallucination? No, still far too complicated and phantasmagoric. Why would she dream within a dream anyway?

"Damn! This is so confusing!" she said aloud, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"What have you to worry about?" a deep voice suddenly interrupted her groaning.

Paranoid, she suddenly held up her fists and glanced about nervously. She stepped around in a circle, quickly skimming her surroundings, only seeing the thick branches.

"Who's there?" she yelled.

"Look above, Miss."

When she checked her surroundings again, she glanced up into the trees, she noted a strange man, lurking behind the greenery. Silver hair hung about his face, and a black eye patch, embroidered with gold covered his right eye. As the rest of the citizens she had encountered, he was dressed in vintage attire.

Lynn scoffed. "What do we have here? A monkey in Dreamland?"

The new countenance blinked for a moment, then crossed his arms, obviously taking offense.

"No need to be so blunt," he slowly but deliberately made his way down, until he reached the ground. He was quite thin and pale, which made him seem somewhat sickly, even weak. This confirmed her assumption when he succumbed to a violent coughing fit.

She stifled a laugh. _Who's this poor bugger?_

In a stately manner, he approached her and bowed.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to Wonderland. My name is Nightmare Gottschalk."

She stepped back. "Wonderland? Like in the book?"

He tilted his head. "Beg your pardon?"

"Never mind," she pursed her lips. "Interesting name you got there."

He smiled. "Why, thank you. And what would yours be?

The stare he gave her from his free eye made her uncomfortable, so she glanced away.

"What up? I'm Lynn Sayer," she held out her hand.

Expecting a shake, she was surprised when his gloved fingers encircled hers. In a gentlemanly fashion, he brought the top of her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"Yeesh," she pulled it away and rubbed it. "You guys are pretty hardcore about all this."

He seemed a little confused by her statement. "Such a strange speech pattern you have."

She sighed and shook her head. "Forget it," then, she continued her path.

"May I ask where you are traversing?" he caught up and walked beside her. "You seem lost."

"No, I'm not. Just wandering around," she sniffed and rubbed her nose. "True, I don't know where I'm going, but it's on purpose," suddenly, she shot a harsh look at the newcomer, expecting him to attack.

A strange smile planted on Nightmare's lip. But, she just glanced away. Either way, she would be ready in case he tried to pull any "stunts".

"It's strange," he suddenly said half to himself. "I thought Peter only wanted to bring Alice Liddell." Then, he peered doubtfully at Lynn. "How did you get here?"

"Pssh, I'd like to know," she rolled her eyes. "One minute, I'm at home, watching 'Dirty Harry'. The next I'm in a rose garden, getting attacked by some creepy guards."

His expression suddenly changed to that of surprise. "Ah! Very interesting! So, no one brought you here?"

"No, not that I know of," her eyes thinned darkly. "Unless, YOU'RE suggesting something. You know something, punk?"

"Uh-calm down, Miss Sayer," he held up his hands. "I promise that I am as ignorant as you!"

"Hmmm," she wrinkled her nose. "Whatever. But, lemme say this now," again, she approached him, but this time, she snatched his black collar. Trembling, he gulped. "I am not one to be trifled with. Cross the line, and your head's goin' up your ass? GOT IT?"

Yes, her point was made. "Y-yes!" with a grunt of effort, he pushed her away. "No need to be so aggressive!"

Truth be told, Lynn was still very nervous and edgy, concerned and scared of this strange place she had found herself lost in, but she didn't want to have to get in another fight for self defense.

Too many violent memories resurfaced in such scenarios.

Even as she threatened this man, she felt her heart flutter with a hint a fear.

"Okay, just wanted to make that perfectly clear," she emphasized.

Once she leaned against one of the strong tree trunks, she slid down to the ground. After hugging her knees against her chest, she rested her chin, rocking back and forth. Nightmare stepped in front of her, tilted his head and scratched the back of his head. He gazed long and curiously at her face. Slowly, his movements lessened, until he stood perfectly still. His brows furrowed, and his lips parted slightly. He just stared.

Lynn locked her good eye with his uncovered eye for only a moment. Finally, when an uncomfortable feeling overwhelmed her, she glanced away, swallowing. Still, he knelt before her. Then, he reached out a finger to touch the scar across her eyelid. She backed away as far as she could into the tree, trying to communicate her discomfort, but he proceeded with the action anyway. The tips of his fingers were cold and dry. She could at least sense that he meant no harm.

"What happened to you?" Nightmare inquired, breaking the awkward silence, at last.

"It's a cataract," she replied. "It's a film that forms over your eye-"

"I know WHAT it is," his arm slipped to his side. "I'm asking how it got there."

Of course, he was. She looked away and bit her thumbnail.

"I got into a fight is all," she replied, grumpily. "It happens."

He inhaled and raised an eyebrow. He knew she wasn't telling the whole story; her body language completely gave that away.

She wondered by his odd, very subtle smile if he might have been hiding something-did he know something? It seemed possible, but the situation seemed all too suspicious.

"Can you see out of it?" he asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. "A little, but it's usually a big blurry blob. I can barely distinguish much of anything if I close my good eye."

With a light chuckle, he laid a hand across his eyepatch, almost with pride.

"It's quite pleasant to know I'm not the only one imperfect around here," he said.

"Huh," she felt some of her muscles relax a bit-that was all he was looking for? "Aye, it is."

"Nice to know that you're not alone, right?"

She nodded. "Aye, aye," she held out a hand. "Oi, thanks, Nightmare."

With a low chuckle, he took her hand and shook it.

"Let us meet again, very soon, alright, Miss Sayer?" he winked the only available eye.

In return, she performed the same gesture, but with the wounded one.

"Alright, I think I can live with that."

As soon as he turned, leaving her beneath the tree, her smile faded at once, and she rested her forehead against her knee.

"Wonderland, he said?" she whispered. "Alice Liddell?" then, she groaned. "Of all the places to be stuck in! I hated that movie!"


	10. Chapter 10

After a warm bath and a fresh change of clothes, Rea felt so much better than she did before. She wondered why Alice panicked the way she did. Should she run too? But, the people here treated her with such kindness! What was there to be afraid of?

As she stretched her limbs, she excitedly overlooked the country from the balcony. She could see the castle, the square, the amusement park and the vast forest. With her new found energy, she ached to run out there and explore the vicinity! She was ready to take on new adventures and see the world!

But, where to begin was the question.

When she leaned over as far as she could, pushing her waist against the rail for balance, she caught sight of the twins, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, clashing their axes with each other. She narrowed her eyes at them.

"Hm, which one's which?" she pondered.

Jet black hair. Red and blue, that they occasionally switch.

"What are their eye colors?"

Suddenly, the one dressed in blue pulled on his brother's jacket and pointed to the balcony. She blinked in surprise.

"Having fun watching us, little lady?" the red said very promptly.

_Red eyes and blue eyes. That is the secret._

She cleared her throat and began,

"Good gentlemen! I am honored by the hospitality you and your people have bestowed on me, but I must know something! Which one of you is Tweedle Dee, and which one of you is Tweedle Dum?" she shook her head. "If I am going to stay here, I should know, yes?"

With a smirk planted on their lips, they glanced at one another, proud by the fact that a pretty girl had taken interest in them.

"Well, m'dear," they declared in unison.

"We usually do not reveal such a secret to just anyone."

"But, since you are here as a special guest-"

"We will permit you to guess."

"And we'll tell you if you're right!"

Rea tapped her lip, musing over the offer. Then, she nodded.

"Alright, that sounds fair. I'll try."

Like two little soldiers, they stood in attention, axes upright and chins in the air, waiting for her response. She pursed her lips in thought. Nothing about them gave any sort of hints to their name, so it was only 50/50, give or take.

"They're standing left to right," she thought. "Their names are always said in the order of 'Tweedle Dee and Dum', so hopefully, I'm right."

She pointed to the blue, then the red.

"Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum," she announced.

Slowly, they narrowed their eyes at her, then glanced at each other, then back at her again.

She twiddled her thumbs nervously.

"Did I get it right?" she asked, lowering her gaze.

Finally, after another awkward pause, they cheered,

"Congratulations! You guessed correctly!

Her face lit up.

"Oh, yay! I was worried there for a moment," she giggled. "Well, at least I can call you by your names now."

Before the Bloody twins could speak any further, Elliot marched outside, commanding them to turn around and get back to their posts. When he looked up though, he saw Rea laughing quietly.

"Forgive me, you two!" she called. "I did not mean to get you into trouble!"

"What do you mean?" the hare inquired.

"Well, it was my fault, good sir. I was talking to them," she gestured in said direction. "Don't punish them."

He rolled his eyes and apologized to the two guards, reminding them to focus, even in the presence of a guest. Afterwards, he smiled and waved a little Rea. As he passed through the doors, she turned around and made her way through the foyers and down the steps.

Ah, even these little things brought her such joy! She could run freely just in this short distance without feeling overwhelming fatigue! What a gift!

When she came up to Elliot, she panted a little and swallowed.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Just catching my breath," she explained, waving her hand. "I'm fine. I just wanted to ask you something."

"Yes, go ahead," he scratched the back of his head.

"Well, I was hoping that you could take me on a tour of the place and show me around," suddenly, she felt a little embarrassed, so she shifted her gaze away. "But, if you have too much to do, that's fine."

He smiled gently. "It's true, I do have a lot to do, but feel free to come and go as you please! You'll always be welcome here!"

With a shy, gentle laugh, she bowed politely and thanked him humbly.

"Alright!" she called, running through the tall portal. "I shall return soon!"

He chuckled to himself as he watched her vacate the premises, bidding good-bye to Dee and Dum and she fled.

"Silly girl," he said to himself.


End file.
